The review notes that risk-reducing surgery almost uniformly decreases cancer anxiety and affects patients’ quality of life, but it is irreversible and can be associated with short- and long-term side-effects.

“For some hereditary cancer syndromes, risk-reduction surgery increases life expectancy, decreases cancer anxiety, and is associated with improvements in quality of life; however, these procedures are irreversible and can be associated with marked early and late complications,” said senior author Dr. Todd Tuttle, of the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis.